Kids Alive! 20 May 2023

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Hey there, readers! We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this issue of Kids Alive! If you would like to get your own copy of Kids Alive! delivered to your home every week, why not ask your parents or carers to take out a subscription* for you? Every week, Kids Alive! includes a cartoon Bible story, a competition, puzzles, jokes, comic strips and topical activities and articles for you to enjoy. Ask your parents or carers to go to sps-shop.com/kids-alive, call 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email subscriptions@satcol.org to set up a subscription.

*A subscription costs just £4.33 a month (or a one-off payment of £52). This subscription offer applies in the UK and Republic of Ireland, with 51 copies delivered over 12 months. Please note that different prices apply to Europe and international orders. Go to salvationist.org.uk/radio to get your Sunday started with half an hour of music, prayer, a thought and lots of giggles

Did you know that if bees disappear from the world we’d all be in big trouble? A big part of the world’s food production depends on bees, because they pollinate crops. They even help reduce pollution! Bees are so important to the health of our planet they have their own special day! World Bee Day takes place on 20 May and it’s about spreading awareness of how important those brilliant insects are. Sadly, studies have shown that bees are becoming more endangered. In December 2022 at a special United Nations conference organisers agreed to focus on halting and reversing nature loss. This includes protecting 30 per cent of the planet by 2030. The Salvation Army (who publish Kids Alive! ) wants to help people across the United Kingdom get involved too. They’re hoping people, individually or as church groups, will set aside a third of their land for biodiversity. That basically means letting an area grow wild and could involve planting wild owers, building a bug hotel or making a safe space for squirrels or birds to shelter. Remember, you don’t need a big space, you can get involved with a garden, balcony containers or even window boxes.

To help with your bee-saving mission, The Salvation Army have free packets of bee-friendly flower seeds to give away. To request some, email resources@salvationarmy.org.uk before 3 June. Seeds are available on a first-come first-served basis.

Check out pages 12 and 13 of this issue to read more about what The Salvation Army is hoping to do to fight climate change

Bees are amazzzzing, aren’t they? For a start there are more than 20,000 different types: bumblebees, honeybees (they might be my favourite!?), ashy mining bees, Willughby’s leafcutter bees, hairy-footed fower bees… you didn’t think I was going to name all 20,000, did you?

What amazzzzes me most about bees is that something so small makes such a big difference to our world. As well as reminding me that it’s important that we look after bees and the places they live, it also makes me think how important you are. Just as God has given bees a place and a purpose in this world, he’s given you a place and a purpose too.

Just because you’re a child doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference. Whether it’s being kind to bees, the environment, your neighbours, your friends, your family or even yourself, with God’s help you can be a change for good.

READ THE COMMENT BELOW ABOUT THE MESS PEOPLE GET INTO WHEN THEY TRY TO DO THINGS THEIR OWN WAY

Don’t Ignore God says Justin Reeves

S

ome Bible stories remind me of storylines from TV soap operas, such as EastEnders or Coronation Street.

This week’s story is about a family – soap operas often include stories about families. Two of the main characters are twin brothers called Esau and Jacob who didn’t get on. In fact, the Bible says that even before they were born they fought each other inside their mum.

I guess one of the reasons Esau and Jacob didn’t get on is because they were so different. It probably didn’t help that their parents had favourites. As you’ll see from the cartoon opposite, this family got into a real mess. Why? Because they tricked, plotted

against and lied to each other, that’s why. And in all their tricking, scheming and lying they ignored God. People (especially brothers and sisters) can be tricky to get on with. If someone does something horrid to you, it can be easy to try to do something horrid back. But does it make things better? Is it what God wants? No! And God didn’t want any of the horrid stuff that happened between Esau and Jacob either. Even though this family ignored God and messed things up, God kept an eye on them. Next week a new episode in this Bible soap opera begins. Make sure you stay tuned to see how God blesses this family as he’d promised and helps Esau and Jacob clean up the mess.

MESSY MIX-UP

As you can see, Isaac, Rebekah, Esau and Jacob have got themselves in a bit of a tangle. Work out which strand links them all and will pull them back together. A C B D

Children of Faith Children of Faith

In the Bible there are incredible stories of young people choosing to trust God. In return, God used them to do extraordinary things. As you read about these young people, be inspired because Jesus is calling you to make a difference too.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

What Happened?

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into a blazing furnace as they’d refused to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue. They told the king that they believed God could save them. Nebuchadnezzar was surprised to see a fourth person that looked like a ‘son of the gods’ in the furnace too. He told the friends to come out and praised their God, because they hadn’t been harmed at all.

What Can We Learn?

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego chose to be brave and stand up for God. God honoured their faith and kept them safe. As a result, King Nebuchadnezzar recognised just how powerful and great God is.

Thoughts for You

Do you feel like sometimes you have to choose between your faith in Jesus and other people’s opinions? Read Matthew 10:32 (International Children’s Bible) and be inspired to be bold about your friendship with Jesus.

KA! JAM is the coolest Bible activity club around. As a member you’ll go on amazing adventures through the Bible learning about Jesus. Each activity sheet is filled with lots of great stuff about being a Christian. You’ll also receive our mini-mag, Chatterbox, which is filled with jokes, games and much more. And to top it off, there are loads of awesome prizes to be won!

To join KA! JAM and complete the Bible activity courses online, go to salvationist.org.uk/kajam.

Or if you would like to receive the postal version, simply fill in the coupon below.

Name:

To join KA! JAM just ll in the application form and send it – along with two rst-class stamps – to: KA! JAM, 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN. Applicants must be between 7 and 17 years old to join.

Date of birth:

Address:

Postcode: Boy or girl: Do you attend a church, and if so, which one?

I, (signature)

apply for membership of Kids Alive! Jesus And Me. I understand that joining KA! JAM doesn’t mean I have joined The Salvation Army and that it is not a free subscription to Kids Alive!

PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS.

Daniel 3

Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday t to You!

To see your name and birthday printed in a future issue of KA! email your full name, address and date of birth to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to type ‘Happy Birthday to You!’ in the email’s subject box.

21 May

Finn Millar – age 13

Ryan Preston – age 13

Neriah Young – age 10

22 May

Isaac Kibrom – age 11

Amelia-Rose Drake – age 8

24 May

Fletcher Sutherland – age 12

Esme Rose Mcglynn – age 7

Pick Out Patch

I’m making a big effort to recycle as much as i can to protect our planet. See if you can spot this version of me on ANOTHER PAGE IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE.

The cosmos or universe is so enormous and stupendous it’s mind-boggling! Here are some facts about space that are … well, cosmic!

Dwarf Planets

A couple of weeks ago we told you about Pluto and mentioned that even though it used to be a planet it was downgraded to a dwarf planet in 2006. But did you know that Pluto isn’t the only dwarf planet in our solar system? Ceres (which lies in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter), Eris, Haumea and Makemake (which hang out with Pluto in the Kuiper Belt) are also dwarf planets.

Apart from size, the main difference between a planet and a dwarf planet is that a dwarf planet hasn’t cleared its path around the Sun of other similar-size objects. For example, nothing else the same size as Earth travels around the Sun on the same path. However, Pluto shares its path around the Sun with lots of other objects in the Kuiper Belt, including Eris, Haumea and Makemake.

Artist representation of Eris

CERES PLUTO MAKEMAKE ERIS hAUMEA

NASA pictures

Why did the bees go on strike? Because they wanted more honey and shorter working owers!

What did the bees do after they got married? They went on a honeymoon!

Hoho,haha,hehe! Hehe,hehe!

Crossword Clues

Spot the Difference

Find

by Neil Locker

across:

1 Nought. 3 Dog-like wild animal.

7 Daughter of one’s sister or brother.

8 Material between goalposts.

Crossword Clues

9 Disperse or sow seeds. 13 Sprint.

14 Artist’s picture stand. 16 Travel by foot. 17 Rubber wheel surround.

down:

1 Region. 2 French word for street. 4 Old unit of weight. 5 Church fair. 6 Sun or rain, for example. 10 Man-made waterway.

11 Black bird. 12 Colour of the sky.

15 Secret agent.

What do bees use for energy? Flower power!

Answers on Page 2

haha!

HIVE DENT SLOW EVEN

What did the queen bee say to the naughty bee?

yourself!’

Where do bees go on their holidays?

and Beejing!

What

Locker

Where do bees catch a bus? At the buzz stop!

pollination biodiversity food crops butterflies

beekeeping raw honey bats flowers hives

queen bee bumblebee sugar water

What do bees use to style their hair?

Ice Cream Maker Competition

What’s the weather like where you live? We hope it’s a sunny, warm day. If not, don’t worry. Summer is de nitely on its way!

There’s nothing better than an ice cream on a summer’s day, and what’s even lovelier is making your own. You can do just that with the Chillfactor Ice Cream Maker! It’s easy to use. Put it in the freezer and wait 24 hours for it to freeze. Then add two simple ingredients – whole milk and condensed milk – and squeeze! If you want to try some different avours there are recipes in the box, including vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and honey. You can also add sauce or sprinkles to top off your treat! People of all ages love ice cream, so why not make some for your friends and family too?

For your opportunity to win a Chillfactor Ice Cream Maker, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to put ‘Chillfactor Ice Cream Maker Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 16 June when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by lling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: Chillfactor Ice Cream Maker Competition, Kids Alive! 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN.

Name:

Address:

BEE COLOURING

We’re buzzing for World Bee Day! To help you celebrate, here’s a busy little bee to colour in. Grab your pens or pencils and add some bee-autiful colour to the image below. You can share your artwork with other readers by emailing your colourings to: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Make sure you write ‘Bee Colouring’ in the subject box and give us your full name, age and address. Alternatively you can post your colourings to: Your Space, Kids Alive! 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN. One last reminder, if you’re sending by post remember to ll in the details below so we know who you are. We send a gift to everyone whose colouring we publish, so don’t miss out!

Name:

Address:

Postcode:

Age:

Living a healthy and an active lifestyle and caring for your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Care for Creation

God created our world for us – he loves it and wants us to take care of it. From amazing animals to mega mountains or stunning seas to fab forests – it’s a truly magni cent creation!

God has given us this beautiful planet as our home but, unfortunately, we’re making a bit of a mess of it. Too many people have taken too much and now our world is struggling.

Climate Change

The Earth’s average temperature can move up and down naturally. However, in recent years, scientists have discovered that it’s been increasing more quickly than it usually does. This is a big problem for the planet’s environment – that’s everything around us, including things such as rivers, trees and animals.

This climate change is in uenced by things that humans are doing. Burning fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and gas, releases harmful gases into Earth’s atmosphere. Cutting down forests to make space for farming and for homes for people to live in also has a big impact.

The Salvation Army

It’s not all bad news. The Salvation Army (which publishes Kids Alive!) is taking this situation so seriously it’s appointed its own environmental of cer. Their aim is to encourage members and employees to behave in more environmentally friendly ways. They want more people linked to The Salvation Army to speak up on environmental issues. This could include joining in with events, such as the No Faith in Fossil Fuels protest, or by getting involved with national and worldwide events, such as World Bee Day (20 May) and World Environment Day (5 June).

The Salvation Army also works in other countries to help people deal with the effects of climate change and extreme weather events.

Fabulous Felix

Whatever your age, you can have a big impact. Felix Finkbeiner was only nine years old when he started a tree-planting campaign at his school in Germany. Today his organisation, Plant-for-the-Planet, plants trees all over the world and educates young people about climate change.

Be a Creation Champion

There are lots of ways to help protect our planet. Switch off lights when you leave a room to save energy. Walk or ride a bike or scooter instead of being driven places to reduce pollution. Recycle as much as you can to avoid waste. Use reusable items instead of plastic straws, bags or bottles. Take short showers and don’t leave taps running when you brush your teeth to save water and energy.

With everything you do, think about treading softly on our precious world. Take only what you need, reduce the amount you buy and use and enjoy what you already have.

Inspire Change

You can also inspire other people to be climate champions. Ask your church leaders or teachers to turn off lights when they’re not needed, use environmentally-friendly cleaning solutions or install energy-saving lightbulbs. Here are some other ideas…

Show your leaders or teachers page 3 of this issue to encourage them to set aside space for nature.

Get involved with Environment Sunday (4 June). Your leaders or teachers can nd out more at salvationist.org.uk/resources/key-dates/ environment-sunday.

To request some seeds to grow some bee-friendly flowers, emailresources@salvationarmy.org.ukbefore 3 June. Seeds are available on a first-come first-served basis.

Become an eco-church. Point your leaders to the following websites to nd out more…

England and Wales – ecochurch.arocha.org.uk

Scotland – ecocongregationscotland.org

Ireland – ecocongregationireland.com

Search YouTube for ‘Right Tracks One Planet’ to listen to a cool song about protecting our planet. Then share it with your friends!

For more information about The Salvation Army’s Environmental Office, visit salvationist.org.uk/environmental-office. Children’s group leaders can also check out the Care for Creation Resources.

Cool Colou ri ngs

This Happy Easter Colouring was sent by Amelia, age 7. We love how colourful you’ve made the eggs!

Wow, check out this beautiful rainbow Patch Colouring from Chloe, age 11. It’s so bold –you’ve done a fab job!

Ryan, age 10, sent us this Fairtrade Fortnight Colouring. It’s a great reminder to choose Fairtrade whenever you can.

Tessie, age 13, sent us a really colourful Happy Easter Colouring. It’s so neat and we especially love the rainbow effect on the word ‘Happy’.

Easter Egg Hunt on Water!

After the all-age Easter morning service, the WOW (Walking on Water) group at Maidstone Salvation Army held an Easter egg hunt on the lake in Mote Park! Members of the group had to nd nine pedalos with letters and numbers on them to spell out an Easter phrase. It was great fun and everyone managed to discover the password (He is risen) and received Easter eggs.

This explosion of colour was completed by Ellie, age 8, to celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week. We hope you enjoyed relaxing your mind while you coloured.

G e t I n T o u c h !

The Kids Alive! team loves to hear from its readers. And guess what –other readers love reading your news! So why not get in touch? You can email or post your own colourings, drawings and letters. Or you could ask your Sunday school, church or corps leaders to email us or write to us with any news about the fun stuff you’ve been doing at your church or corps.

Email: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk

Post: Kids Alive! 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN

Arthur

Age? 6.

Favourite colour? Light blue.

Favourite food? Doughnuts. Favourite sport? Rugby.

Favourite bit of Kids Alive!? Colouring section.

Favourite Bible story and why?

Jonah and the big fish and David and Goliath.

Favourite TV programme? Deadly 60 and Scrapheap Challenge.

What do you want to be when you’re older? Racing driver and explorer. Pets? 13 stick insects.

Hobbies? Beaver Scouts, litter picking.

Tell us a joke. What is a deer without any eyes? No eye dear!

Tell us something interesting about yourself. I love insects.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us? A giant poisonous centipede slept under my mattress on holiday and I didn’t know! Only when my mummy was checking for anything left behind did she see it! I also ate a whole Malawian meal of nsima (like polenta) and a whole unfilled fish!

Arthur and his family enjoying their Malawian meal